Bad weather pummels U.S., Middle East

Vicious storms pounded the United States and the Middle East on Sunday.

Snow falls on the ancient ruins of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley, east of Lebanon, on December 12, 2010. Winds, rain and hail battered the eastern Mediterranean for a second day, killing at least four people and wreaking havoc as a months-long drought came to a sudden, drastic end.

Published on Sun Dec 12 2010

Vicious storms pounded the United States and the Middle East on Sunday.

In the U.S., a powerful, gusty storm dumped mounds of snow across the upper Midwest on Sunday, closing major highways in several states, cancelling more than 1,400 flights in Chicago and collapsing the roof of the Minnesota Vikings’ stadium.

At least two weather-related deaths were reported as the storm system dropped nearly 60 centimetres of snow in parts of Minnesota and marched east. A blizzard warning was in effect Sunday for parts of eastern Iowa, southeastern Wisconsin, northwestern Illinois and northern Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.

Surrounding areas, including Chicago, were under winter storm warnings. Much of Iowa was under a wind-chill advisory.

The storm headed toward Ontario on Sunday and Environment Canada issued a weather warning that forecasts heavy snow. The agency predicts the storm will drop between 15 and 30 centimetres in northern parts of the province, with some areas getting a mix of snow and rain.

But the winds will pick up, gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour into Monday and causing temperatures to plummet, he added.

Meanwhile, heavy rain and fierce winds pummelled countries across the Middle East on Sunday, killing a woman in Lebanon, sinking a ship off Israel’s coast and prompting Egypt to close its largest Mediterranean port.

The storm, which caused temperatures to plunge to below freezing in some places, ended weeks of unseasonably warm and dry weather across the region that caused dozens of forest fires in Lebanon and helped feed a massive blaze in Israel that destroyed thousands of hectares of forest.

It whipped up sandstorms in Egypt and Jordan, while in Syria snow blanketed the streets of Damascus for the first time this winter. Schools sent students home early and children ventured outside to play in the streets.

Heavy rain and strong winds battered cities along the Mediterranean coast. Syrian authorities closed their main port of Tartous, while four-metre waves forced Egypt to shut down the port of Alexandria — the country’s largest — as well as another in Nuweiba.

Off the Israeli coast, a Moldovan cargo ship sunk in stormy weather 11 kilometres off the port city of Ashdod, and a Turkish ship was safely towed three kilometres to shore after sending out distress calls.